Bronson

Charles Bronson, aka Michael Peterson, robbed a small post office in Britain and was sentenced to seven years in prison. He spent 37 years of that time in solitary. Was he forgotten about? No, he wasn't. Bronson was rightly considered the most violent man in Britain's prison system. The film Bronson is his story.

I expected a film with lots of violence about a man I would hate. Instead I found a film that focused more on the mind of the man rather than his actions. I didn't hate him. I was strangely entertained and fascinated by him: but I was glad I didn't know him. Bronson is one of those films that are hard to explain. It is a strange mixture of reality, madness, and a touch of vaudeville. Imagine if you will a biography filmed by Terry Gilliam combined with the surrealism of Cabaret. The film is narrated in the first person as Bronson, played by Tom Hardy, as he takes us through his life from birth through his time in prison. At times he addresses an audience, sometimes real, sometimes not. The film keeps moving and I didn't find a dull moment. I also have to say I never quite knew what to expect either.